Where the Wild Things Are
by jms6548
Summary: Claire Burns and her boyfriend move to Forks, Washington and Claire is reunited with her old friend Bella- and introduced to some of Bella's new friends. Poor Jacob doesn't know what's about to hit him, and poor Claire is about to be thrown into a world of vampires, werewolves, and imprints, oh my!
1. Moving Day

Introductions: Hi! Here's a little bit of information about what this story is: a humorous version of the tried-and-true 'new girl in town is imprinted on by Jacob Black' formula, with some BellaxEdward thrown in and a love triangle of my own devising. The setting for this is after New Moon and prior to Eclipse (events in Eclipse will take place in this story, but with my own little twist on things). Claire Burns is about to be drawn into a world of drama, mystery, suspense, adventure and, of course, the romance of her lifetime.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns the Twilight Universe and everyone in it. I own Claire, Blake, Angie, and Claire's dog- whose name I have not yet settled on, so feel free to offer suggestions. And now, on to the story. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Moving Day**

Moving sucks.

Sure, people try to dress it up nicely- 'you'll make lots of new friends,' 'there'll be exciting new sights,' 'you'll get to hang out with Bella all the time'- but the harsh reality is that the entire process of moving just plain sucks. You have to pack up every single thing you own, say goodbye to literally everyone you have ever known, and then drive for hours and hours to to the freaking rainiest place on the entire planet.

And no, that was not an exaggeration. Forks may as well have been called... er, 'Soggy Napkin.' I don't know, something dreary and wet that pertained to meals.

The thing that makes this move in particular even worse is how freaking excited everyone is about it- everyone except me, of course. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually a pretty happy-go-lucky person. I've got a wonderful older sister, great friends, a loving boyfriend, and a sweet new German Shepherd puppy, courtesy of the afore-mentioned loving boyfriend. There's not much for me to be grumpy about on a day-to-day basis, but these past few days- spent packing everything I own and preparing for a major change- my mood has been varying levels of gloomy.

I don't want to move. I really, really don't.

It wasn't even my idea in the first place. I had graduated high school last year and, weary of school and homework- ugh, even _thinking_ that evil word should be illegal- had decided to take a year off. I was kind of... er, directionless, for lack of a more impressive way of saying that. I basically had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to go to college, sure; but I didn't know what I wanted to do, what I wanted to _be_ , and it had been frustrating me. So I'd found a job at a local pet store, finally earning my keep in my older sister Angie's quaint apartment, and had spent the year enjoying the end of my teenage years.

And then Blake- afore-mentioned loving boyfriend who gives puppies as birthday presents- had enrolled in Peninsula College, a small university that happened to be right smack dab in the middle of the proverbial waterfall that was Forks, Washington. He had urged and coaxed and pleaded and given me huge puppy-dog eyes until I had finally, grudgingly agreed to mail in an application as well. Peninsula College had accepted me, and now... and now here I was. Sitting in my stripped bedroom, cardboard boxes piled around me, a puppy snuggled in my lap, and Angie tearfully baking us a 'last supper' in the kitchen.

She was sad to see me go, and I knew she was hoping that I would set money aside all semester in order to buy a plane ticket home. I winced at that thought; we lived in sunny Phoenix, Arizona right now, and I hated the thought of being so far away from her. The only way I'd be able to visit would be via a two hundred dollar plane ticket and a long flight.

But it would be worth it. Our parents had divorced when we were young, and we had grown up with our mother. I say 'grown up with' and not 'raised by' because, frankly, that woman did not raise us. We were a burden to her, and she let us know it every day until Angie, the moment she'd turned eighteen, had purchased a small but cozy apartment with the savings from her own college fund. She was now twenty-four years old- five years older than me- and the co-owner of a successful bakery in downtown Phoenix. She'd had years of practice, see, since mom was usually too drunk to cook anything and the responsibility of feeding me had fallen on her. Angie could cook like nobody else, and it was just one of the many, many things I loved about her. She was my big sister, the only family I really had, and I would gladly spend every penny I had for the chance to visit her.

That thought brought a sigh. It could very well end up being every penny, too. My earnings from the pet store had gone towards college tuition and housing, and I had depressingly little money left in my bank account. If I didn't find a job in Forks and start saving again, I'd be homeless within six months. Why was I moving again?

A knock on the door interrupted my gloomy- see? I told you I was gloomy- thoughts. I jumped up and ran to the front door, swinging it wide and grinning at the tousled blond hair and bright blue eyes that greeted me.

"Blake!" I squealed happily, my mood instantly rising into not-so-gloomy levels. I threw my arms around him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He squeezed me tightly and stepped into the apartment. Before I shut the door behind him, I noticed through a hallway window that his shiny red pickup truck was parked on the curb- its back seat was piled with boxes, and there was a mattress and some disassembled furniture piled in the truck bed. I groaned.

"Hey, cheer up, Claire," he said, ruffling my hair. "This is gonna be great! We'll make tons of friends at The Pen," I rolled my eyes at his cute little nickname for our new college. "You'll love the apartment I found, you can totally come and stay over _any time_ you get sick of dorm life," he gave me an exaggerated wink and I rolled my eyes again, trying not to smile. Then he played the trump card. "And you'll get to see Bella practically every day."

I blew a resigned sigh. I was still dead set on being grumpy throughout this entire ordeal, but seeing Bella again was definitely going to be fun. She and I had been friends practically since birth, and we had kept in close touch ever since her own move to Soggy- I mean, Forks. Lately her emails had been saturated with stories about her new boyfriend, along with bucketfuls of drama. Apparently some hunk- Edward- had become the absolute center of Bella's universe, had dumped her like a total butt-face, and then had come swooping back into her life and somehow convinced her to take him back. And there was another guy, Jack or Jake or something, who she had been raving about for a while, too, but I guessed that now he was out of the picture. I don't know, Bella's emails were really long and complicated sometimes. It was hard to keep track of everything that she said, but that was the gist of the story.

But I was excited to see her, that was for sure. Bella would be the highlight of my waterlogged new home.

"It's going to be great, Claire," Angie encouraged as Blake pulled me into the kitchen, but I could see the wet gleam of pent-up tears in her eyes. I winced again. Geez, Angie crying was bad enough, but that fact that I was actually the one _making_ her cry made it so much worse. Ugh. I comforted myself with the thought that Angie cried at everything. Gooey romance movies, cheesy novels, soap operas. Heck, I'd even seen her tear up when she killed bugs.

"I know, it'll be great," I said aloud, trying to sound at least a little excited. I failed, of course, because I am the worst liar in the world.

Blake gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "It really will, babe. And if it's not... well, I'm sure we can find another college after a semester or two." I perked up at that, and he ruffled my hair again. "Now come on- let's get your stuff into the truck."

I groaned loudly. "Nooo."

He gave me that stupid goofy smile of his, all white teeth and dimples. "You sound kind of like a cow, babe." I swatted him lightly on the arm.

My big sister chuckled. "Get your things packed up, Claire. When you two are finished, I'll have some chocolate chip cookies ready for you to eat."

So _that's_ what she'd been baking. I wondered what had smelled so good. "Angie, are you trying to _bribe_ me? Your own sister? I'm _shocked_." I said with mock-indignation.

"I think she was implying that you couldn't have a cookie until after you helped me load up the truck, babe," Blake said thoughtfully. "So I'd say it's more of a hostage negotiation than a bribe."

I bit back a smile and Angie chuckled again. "That's right; now hurry it up, or the cookies get it!" She held up a spatula threateningly and I couldn't help but laugh.

"C'mon, Claire," Blake tugged me towards my bedroom, eager to get on with the process of loading up his truck.

I allowed myself to be led, crying out, "Please, don't hurt them! They're innocent civilians!" Angie laughed again and I head the oven door squeak open.

Once Blake and I were in the room, he began lifting boxes and carrying them outside- and he was certain to give off quite a few manly grunts and flex his biceps while doing so. I finished up the last of my packing, settling down on the floor to once again sigh morosely and pet my puppy. I caught sight of my reflection in a large mirror leaning against the wall and winced a bit. I looked... haggard. Like I hadn't slept in days, which was partially true- my sleep had been fitful these past few nights, as if some part of me had wanted to lie awake and savor each moment I had left in this apartment rather than just sleep the time away. And the sleeplessness had taken its toll, I thought wryly. My gray eyes had bags under then, and my skin- which was usually quite nice, smooth and with a natural glow- looked rough and drawn. My hair, the exact color of rust, looked a bit bedraggled, too. I sighed again and decided that a quick shower would do me some good.

Blake continued to load boxes as I got the hot water running, and as I undressed and climbed into the shower I couldn't help but think that I should get used to the feeling of water falling on me. Rain, cold and constant, would be the defining characteristic of my new town. It's not that I disliked rain, really. The sound of it helped me sleep at night, and I had always enjoyed jumping in puddles with Angie when we were kids. But I didn't like cold water or cold weather. Or cold anything, really. I liked heat, sun, and warmth. And there certainly wasn't going to be anything warm and sunny waiting for me in Forks, Washington. I was sure of it.

* * *

Author's Note: Don't worry, Claire's a bit of a downer here in the beginning but she'll cheer up soon. In the next chapter we'll see: Forks, the new living accommodations for Claire and Blake, Bella, and perhaps just a little bit of Jacob and/or Edward. And hopefully the dog shall be named! Feel free to leave and questions or comments in a review!


	2. Welcome to Forks

Author's Note: Wow, I have people favoriting and following this story already- this is so exciting, you guys are so cool! And I'm glad that some people enjoyed the first chapter- hopefully this chapter is even better!

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns the Twilight Universe and everyone in it. I own Claire, Blake, Angie, and the puppy. Now, here's chapter two. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 2: Welcome to Forks**

"Nooo! Bad puppy!" I yanked my pillow out of the young dog's mouth. It was shredded at one corner, and some white pieces of fluff now decorated his adorable- and evil- muzzle. "Maybe 'Chewy' would be a good name for you," I grumbled at him. He gave me such a sad look that I had to relent. I reached into the back seat to rub his soft ears.

"Chewy?" Blake repeated with a snort. "No, no, no. You have to give him a name that's tough. Like 'Fang' or 'Killer'. Something that'll scare other guys away, y'know?" I looked away from the road for a second to wink and grin at me.

I laughed. "Yeah, 'Killer' definitely suits him," I replied sarcastically. As if to accentuate my point the puppy whined and I pulled him into my lap, where he promptly nuzzled his head into the folds of my too-big green sweater and began to doze off. "This is a very tough dog that you've given me. Vicious, even." Blake rolled his eyes and I grinned. "Seriously, babe, I'm afraid for my life right now. He might cuddle me to death."

"Ha ha," he drawled out the two syllables sarcastically. "You're _hilarious_." I chuckled to myself- dang right I was hilarious. "Seriously, though," Blake continued after a few moments of silence, "You've had him for, what, three months now? You have to pick a name eventually."

"I know," I sighed, stroking the puppy's head absentmindedly. "I just can't seem to think of anything that fits, you know?" Blake making a 'hm' noise. "Ah, well, I'll think of something eventually."

We drove on without speaking for several minutes, and I couldn't help but fidget. We had been in the truck for almost twenty-four hours- minus our numerous pit stops for restrooms, snacks, and life-giving coffee. Blake had driven for most of the trip, and I had dozed comfortably in the spacious passenger seat. He had periodically needed to rest, too, and so I had taken over the wheel from time to time. It had been a pretty good road trip, as far as road trips go, but... well twenty-four hours was my limit. I was getting antsy.

And Blake noticed. "Hey, let's play a game," he suggested brightly. "How about... I Spy?"

I rolled my eyes. Right, because I was apparently a five year old kid who he needed to entertain. "How about something something a little more mature? Like... um... twenty questions?"

"Nope, we're playing I Spy," he insisted with a grin and a shake of his unruly blond hair. "Now, I spy something... green."

I pursed my lips and scanned our surroundings. We had gotten off the highway some time ago, and were now on a straight but uneven and gravelly road, crawling along at barely ten miles an hour. It was drizzling, and our scenery consisted of thick forest on either side of the truck. "Um, Blake, literally _everything_ outside the car is green."

"I know." Ooh, he sounded so _smug_.

"Alright, um... the grass?" He shook his head. "A tree?" Shake. "Bushes?" Shake. "That sign?" A devilish grin spread across his face. "Ah-hah, it _is_ that sign! I win! I'm the best at I Spy!"

"Babe," he said slowly, shooting me another grin, "What does the sign _say_?"

I peered at it. It was a large wooden sign painted green, the paint peeling around the edges, with big white words scrawled in the center: _Welcome to Forks_. "Hey! No way!" I sat up excitedly in my seat, causing the puppy to wake up with a yip. "We're there!"

"Glad to see you've changed your mind about the place."

I glanced over to see that his blue eyes were twinkling. "Don't get too excited, babe," I cautioned. "I'm happy we finally get to get out of this truck and see Bella, that's all."

"Sure, sure. So, where to first? My place, The Pen, or Bella's?"

"Hm..." I thought about that for a long minute. I definitely wanted to see Bella, but... well, sitting in the cab of his admittedly very nice and clean truck had left me in desperate need of a shower and a nap. We'd had to stop periodically to let the puppy go to the bathroom, and he had gotten wet in the rain. And then of course he had kept on wanting to sit in my lap, so I now smelled thoroughly like wet dog. I wanted to see my dorm, but I thought that Blake would appreciate going to his apartment first. "How about your place? That way we can shower and nap before we head over to Bella's."

The truck was jostling me from side to side now, despite our slow speed. The roads here were horribly uneven, I couldn't help but think. "Shower and nap, huh?" Damn those gorgeous sparkling eyes of his, I thought wryly. "And will we be doing these things together, or separately?" He shot me another wink.

I blushed and smacked his bicep lightly. "Separately, you degenerate."

He laughed again. "Ooh, look at the fancy college girl, using such big words." I snorted and smacked him again. He peered at another peeling road sign and said, "Alright, I think we're only about fifteen minutes from my place."

"I'll start getting organized," I suggested, and gently set the now-wide-awake puppy onto the floor by my feet. I unbuckled my seat belt and twisted so that I could reach into the back seat, gathering empty coffee cups and various road food wrappers into a large plastic trash bag. I piled some of our suitcases and duffel bags into more easily manageable stacks. A sharp pinch on my behind made me jump, and I twisted back to see Blake smirking at the seat of my jeans. I smacked his hand again, not-so-playfully this time, and then continued my organizing.

By the time I finished we were in what I could only assume was the downtown area of Forks, though it looked nothing like Phoenix. Whereas Phoenix had been massive and crowded to the point of disorientation, Forks was more of a sprawling and loosely organized town. The buildings weren't built completely side-by-side, as in Phoenix, and no skyscrapers towered overhead.

I had to admit, there was a certain... charm... to this little town. It looked... folksy. The kind of place where everybody knew everybody else, and where there were no dark alleys lurking behind every building. An older woman setting up a display case in a shop window actually waved and smiled at us as we passed. I couldn't help but wave back. People didn't wave and smile at strangers in Phoenix, not unless they wanted to get mugged.

After a few minutes of driving Blake pulled over to the curb in front of a three-story brick building. I climbed out of the truck and stretched, cradling the puppy in one arm. The rain was still coming down, cold but bearable, as Blake and I began grabbing suitcases from the backseat. He had wisely tied a tarp down over the truck bed, protecting his mattress and furniture from getting wet.

His little apartment was located on the third floor and was, I had to admit, quite nice. One bedroom, one bathroom, and a joint living room and kitchen. It was spacious and partially furnished already, and after 'oohing' and 'ahhing' for several minutes like a good girlfriend I began to help him unpack.

"Oh, no, you don't," I glanced up as he came out of the bedroom after depositing the rest of his luggage in there. He wrapped me in a tight hug and tilted my chin up. "No unpacking for you. I thought you wanted to take a shower?"

I returned the embrace. "Oh, I do. I smell like a wet dog," I shot the puppy at my feet an accusing look. He just yipped and bumped his head into my calf.

His lips curled into a grin. "Alright, then. Shower time." He wiggled his eyebrows and started pulling me towards the bathroom.

I sighed and disentangled myself from his arms. His thoughts were practically written on his face. "By _myself_ , Blake."

He scowled and crossed his arms. "Aw, c'mon. Are you serious?" I just raised my eyebrows in an 'are _you_ serious?' look. He blew a sigh, clearly annoyed, and I felt a flush of guilt. We'd been going out for over a year, and I knew he expected quite a bit more in the physical department than I felt comfortable with. "Fine then," he said, turning his back on me. "But if we're going separately, then you're going second."

I rolled my eyes as he disappeared into the bathroom, and a moment later I heard the water start running. I scratched the puppy's ears for several minutes and then unpacked some toys for him to play with while I waited for my boyfriend to hurry up.

It was over twenty minutes before the water switched back off.

* * *

Several hours later, Blake's truck pulled to a stop in front of a white and gray two-story house. He honked on the horn, and several moments later the front door swung open and a familiar-looking figure emerged. I recognized her instantly.

"Bella!" I squealed excitedly, unbuckling my seat belt and practically leaping out of the cab. She had barely changed since I had last seen her- she had grown out her gorgeous red-brown hair a bit, and she seemed a bit taller, but she was still the pale, slender, chocolate-eyed beauty that I remembered.

"Claire!" she cried, running towards me- and nearly falling flat on her face in the slippery mud- and embracing me tightly. I was only a few inches taller than she was, but the top of her head banged into my nose painfully. Ah, yes, here was the Bella I remembered; clumsy to the point of being a public hazard.

"Ouch," I winced, rubbing my nose. She flushed and mumbled an apology. I just hugged her again. "Bells, it's been so long since I've seen you! How are you? What's new? Tell me everything!"

She gave me her usual lopsided smile. "Sure, sure, but let's go inside. I know how you feel about rain." A honk sounded from behind us, and she held up one hand to shield her eyes as she looked at Blake. "Is that your boyfriend? Blake, right?" I nodded and waved as he pulled away. "He's _cute_ , Claire."

"Yeah," I blushed a bit, thinking- not for the first time- how lucky I had been to find such an attractive guy.

"He's not staying?" she asked as we headed inside, stomping our feet heavily on her welcome mat. Ugh, I'd been outside less than a minute and I was already soaked, and my boots were caked slick with mud. I gave up trying to wipe them off on the mat and just took them off altogether.

I shook my head, rainwater flinging freely off the long reddish locks. "Nah. He's going back to his new apartment to get his bed and furniture put together. I said I'd text him when you're ready to kick me out."

She smiled. "Hey, great. I kind of cleared the whole day, and I was thinking of making some dinner.. You could help me, if you feel like cooking something..."

"Sure!" I said brightly. I wasn't much of a cook- nothing compared to Angie- but I did enjoy experimenting with recipes. "Is your boyfriend around?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant even though I was dying to meet him.

She bit her lower lip. "No, I told him you were coming today and he said he'd spend the day hunting with his brothers. He said I could use a 'girl's day.'"

"Ah," I answered, trying not to sound disappointed. The mysterious Edward had become the center of Bella's universe for the past two years, or at least she had made it seem that way in her emails. And she had barely ever shown interest in guys before, so it was hard not be curious about him.

"So tell me about things," she said a moment later as we moved to sit down in her living room. Her house was quite nice; small but cozy, and decorated in warm colors. "How's your sister doing? Are you excited for college? And tell me about Blake!"

"Whoa, whoa," I held up both hands, laughing, "So many questions at once. Let's see... Angie's been great. Her bakery has really taken off, you know. She's, like, a mature and successful adult, now. It's weird." I wrinkled my nose and she giggled. "And college... eh, I don't know. I haven't even seen my dorm room yet. And I guess taking classes might be kind of nice. I really only agreed to come here because of Blake, you know. He got accepted, and he seemed to really want to move here, and he just kept asking me..." I sighed and ran a hand through my damp hair. "I don't know, I guess I felt like I _should_ go to college, even though I don't really _want_ to, y'know?"

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Edward keeps pushing me to start filling out applications, even though my senior year hasn't even started yet. It just... doesn't seem that appealing, I guess." Her voice was slow and measured, as if she was trying to be careful with what she said. Odd. "So tell me about Blake," she said brightly after a moment of thoughtful silence.

I felt my mouth stretch into a grin. "He's great. He's... he's really sweet, and thoughtful, and he's always buying me nice stuff." I blushed. "He bought me a puppy for my birthday. Can you believe that? We've only been going out for, like, a year and a half, and he bought me a _puppy_. Who even _does_ that?" I felt a stab of pride. My boyfriend does, that's who.

"Awww," Bella squealed. "And he looked so handsome. You're really lucky, Claire. Or, I guess _he's_ the lucky one." My blush deepened.

I cleared my throat after a minute. "So, uh, tell me about life here in Forks. How's your dad, and school and stuff?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but just then the phone rang. She hopped out of her chair and went into the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello?" I heard her say. A moment later, in a much softer and almost somber voice she said, "Hey, Jake."

I fidgeted in my chair, looking around for something to occupy my attention. I had a nosy streak in me, sure, but I didn't want to eavesdrop on a private conversation.

There was a long minute of silence, during which I tried to think of fitting names for my dog. Bella's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Jake, I... I know this isn't how you thought... look, it's just... Edward and I..." I swallowed tightly and glanced towards the kitchen, concerned. Bella had her back to me, so I couldn't see her expression, but it sounded like she was trying not to cry.

I could hear the sound of a raised, angry voice on the other end of the line. Bella's shoulders shook, and I heard what sounded like a muffled sob. As soon as the noise came out, the voice on the phone grew quiet.

I half-stood from the couch, not really sure what to do. A moment later Bella, her voice now composed, said, "Jake, it doesn't have to be like that. You're still my friend. You'll _always_ be my friend. But Edward... he's here to stay this time, Jake. I'm sorry." The last part was whispered, and again I felt guilty for being here.

The voice on the other end said something quietly, and then I heard a faint _click_. A moment later Bella hung up and turned around, wiping some traces of moisture from around her eyes.

"S-sorry about that," she said shakily, returning to her chair.

"Hey, it's okay," I said awkwardly. "Um... that was your friend, right? The one you wrote about a lot last summer?"

"Yeah." Her voice was raspy.

"Is there anything..." I reached out and rubbed her shoulder, trying to sound soothing. "I mean, do you want to talk about it?"

She swallowed and wiped her eyes again, then tried to offer me a bleak smile. "No, this is supposed to be a happy day. No drama."

"Hey, drama's my middle name," I tried to joke. Her smile became a bit more genuine and I scooted closer to her. "Now come on, Bells. Tell me everything."

She wrapped some strands of mahogany hair around one pale finger. "Well... I mean, it _would_ really be nice to get all this off my chest." She gave me a look that seemed both pleading and guilty. I gave an encouraging nod and she took a deep breath. "Well, Claire, it's a long story. It all started last year..."

* * *

Author's Note: And there's the second chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter we'll see: some more girl bonding time, and Claire will meet Edward. And don't worry, the story is slow right now- we're still in the beginning, 'introduce everyone and get Claire settled into her new town' phase, but the pace will pick up soon! Please leave a review if you have any comments, criticism, or encouragement for me!


	3. Bella's Boys

Author's Note: Just to give some background about this story; the inspiration from it came from Jacob's fate in Breaking Dawn. Although I do quite like Edward (you're allowed to be Team Edward _and_ Team Jacob, right?) and I had little preference over who Bella ultimately ended up with, I still felt very badly for poor Jacob. I was not satisfied with Renesme or how Jacob imprinted on her; thus, I was not a fan of how his story ended in Breaking Dawn. And while I love Edward and Bella together, I felt that Jacob deserved someone other than his former love's daughter.

Also, I always thought that there were 'two versions' of Bella throughout the books. Happy, joking, carefree Bella, and then somber, introverted Bella. I am choosing to write her character as more of the carefree version, simply because I always found her more like-able when she was in a good mood.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns the Twilight Universe and everyone in it. I own Claire, Blake, Angie, and the puppy. Here's chapter three, enjoy!

 **Chapter 3: Bella's Boys**

When Bella had finished her story- and she had been right, it _was_ a long story, with much hand-wringing and hair-twisting and held-back-tears- I sat back and gave a low whistle.

"Wow, Bells. You weren't kidding about the 'drama' part."

She sniffled and hugged a pillow against her chest. "You're telling me."

"So... let me just make sure I understand everything. Edward left you because his dad had to take a job in L.A., and he didn't want to put you through the strain of a long-distance relationship so he decided to end it?" She nodded, but bit down hard on her lower lip again and avoided my eyes. "So while he was gone, you became really good friends with this other guy, Jacob?" Another nod. "And he... kind of developed feelings beyond friendship, and you didn't?"

She gave a heavy sigh. "I... I loved Jacob. I still do, but it's just not... not the way..." she trailed off, tears coming to her eyes again.

"Just not the way he wants you to?" I supplied gently. She nodded again. "Okay, and... and now Edward's back, and he never stopped loving you and he regretted deciding to end your relationship?" Nod. "And now that he's back, he and Jacob hate each other and each wants you to not hang out with the other, right?" Nod. "Well, can't they just... get over it? I mean, I get the whole jealous boyfriend thing, but... if Edward really loves you, shouldn't he trust you enough to hang out with your old friend without there being any funny business?" Now she was _really_ avoiding my eyes, but I pressed on. "And if Jacob cares about your feelings, too, then wouldn't he want you to be happy?"

"It's... a little more complicated then that..." she murmured vaguely, drawing her legs into the chair and resting her chin on her knees.

So maybe there was something I was missing? There did seem to be something more to the story, but I got the feeling that she wasn't comfortable with telling me everything.

"Jacob... he and the the guys down in La Push are kind of... well, they're sort of like a... gang, I guess." My eyes widened. Timid, innocent Bella had been running with gangs? That didn't sound like her at _all_.

She must have noticed my expression, because she quickly added, "Not like a _gang_ , gang, they're all really nice, but... I guess you could say that Edward doesn't feel like I'm safe with them."

"Oh."

Once again I got the feeling that there was something she wasn't telling me, but I tried to brush it off. "Well... you said you practically spent the summer there, right? So if you were safe then, you'd be safe now!" I snapped my fingers triumphantly, impressed by my own logic.

An annoyed look crossed her face. "Try telling that to Edward," she muttered darkly, her tone implying that she had probably told him that very same thing.

Now it was my turn to chew on my lip. "Well... what if I went with you, since he doesn't want to go near the place? Blake and I could... er, chaperone." I wrinkled my nose at that word. It sounded so adult and responsible- so _not_ me.

Her mood seemed to improve ever so slightly. "Maybe... I don't know. Maybe Edward would feel better about me going if I had other friends along."

"Yeah sure. Totally." I nodded, trying to seem enthusiastic. I couldn't help but feel a stab of dislike for Bella's boyfriend, though; he seemed just a tad bit too controlling for my taste. But he deserved the benefit of the doubt, I supposed. Bella certainly seemed to value his opinion.

"I'll mention the idea to him tonight," she said thoughtfully.

I tried not to feel hurt. Hadn't she said that she had cleared her whole day for me? My expression must have betrayed what I was thinking about, because Bella quickly added, "I'm not going to see him today, he just... we just... ah..." she was turning an alarming shade of red. "Edward kind of... sneaks into... er, my room. At night."

It took me a moment to realize the implications, and then I let out an emphatic, "Awww! Bells, that's so sweet! Does your dad know?"

"He... he sneaks in through the window..." Her entire face and neck was now vivid crimson.

"Awww!" Now _that_ revelation made me like this guy a little more. To have a boyfriend willing to sneak in through the window, who didn't want to spend even one night away from you... it was hard to think badly of a guy like that.

"Don't tell Charlie, though. He'd freak if he knew."

I snorted. "Bella, I think _any_ dad would freak if he knew. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks." We sat in silence for a short while, and I took several sips of the hot chocolate that Bella had made me several minutes ago. It was good, creamy and rich, and I inhaled the steam rising from it greedily.

"Great hot cocoa, Bells."

"Thanks." She straightened in her seat and became suddenly business-like. "So, enough of me moping. What do you want to do this afternoon?"

"I wouldn't call it moping, exactly. I mean, your love life life is probably the most interesting thing going on in this little town," I said wryly. Bella ducked her head down, and I saw try to hide a wide smile. I continued, "And all i planned to do today was get unpacked and hang out with you."

"Well, why not do both together?" she suggested. "We could head over to Peninsula and check out your dorm."

"We could," I agreed slowly, "Except that Blake has all my stuff. I still don't have a car, y'know, so I packed everything in his truck."

She shrugged. "We could at least go and look at the place. Maybe Blake could meet us there later, and we could help you unpack."

"I guess so." I suddenly shot her a suspicious glance. "Hey, this isn't just a ploy to meet Blake, is it?"

Her mouth twisted into its lopsided smirk. "Maybe."

I rolled my eyes but stood, and she followed suit. "Very sneaky, Bells."

"I try."

At that moment, a gentle knock at the door sounded.

Bella frowned and walked towards it. "Strange... I wasn't expecting anybody but you today..." She reached the door, opened it, and...

Wow. Just... just _wow._

I didn't know what to be more floored by; the guy standing at the door, or the way Bella lit up when she say him. It was literally like someone had reached inside of her and flipped on a light bulb. One of those extra wattage, super bright ones that you can't look directly at. Her whole face transformed into the biggest smile I had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled, and her face flushed rosy as she breathed out, "Edward."

I found myself grinning like an idiot, watching her reaction. I mean, I loved Blake and all, but I definitely didn't look anything like _that_ when I saw him. She was beyond smitten.

She wrapped the tall figure in front of her in what looked like a bone-crushingly tight hug- although he certainly didn't seem to mind- and I turned my attention to the mysterious Edward.

Again. Wow.

He was tall. And super, super pale. Like, night of the living dead pale. But this didn't necessarily detract from his appearance; rather, the sheer whiteness of his skin seemed to make the bronze shine of his hair and the liquid gold of his eyes all the more apparent. Yes, that's right- this guy's eyes were gold. They looked like melted pools of amber.

I blushed and turned away, embarrassed that I was checking out my best friend's boyfriend. I had a boyfriend of my own, I reminded myself sternly, and I could check him out all I wanted later.

The faintest chuckle made me glance awkwardly back to the embracing couple. Edward kissed Bella on the forward- I thought _awww_ and blushed again- and turned his eyes towards me as she drew back.

"Claire, this is Edward," she was still glowing, and seemed slightly breathless. Aww, he had _literally_ left her breathless. I had to bite back a smile.

"I gathered," I grinned at the supermodel before me and gave a little wave. "Hi, Edward. I'm Claire, Bella's old friend from Phoenix. Er, but you probably know that already."

He gave me an easy smile and nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Claire. Bella has been looking forward to your visit." Dang, the guy had a voice like velvet. No wonder Bella was so smitten with him.

"Edward, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be spending the day with your family." Bella still had that adoring look in her eyes. I actually felt uncomfortable, standing there and intruding on what felt like a romantic rendezvous- or at least, it seemed that way due to how they were gazing at each other.

"I was. Our plans were... interrupted." There was a serious note to his voice, and his strange eyes fixed on me. "Claire, I apologize for my rudeness, but would you allow me to speak privately with Bella for a moment?" He actually sounded sorry- pained, even- so I nodded and, after glancing around and trying to come up with some way of making myself scarce, headed for the bathroom.

I took my sweet time so as to give them privacy, staying in the small room for several minutes. When I emerged- clearing my throat to make sure they knew I was coming- I found Bella standing alone in the kitchen. Edward was gone.

"Everything okay?"

She startled, as if she had been deep in thought and had forgotten I was there. "Wh-what? Oh. Yes." She composed herself and suddenly looked apologetic. "I'm sorry about that, Claire, he didn't mean to interrupt us-"

"It's okay," I said before she could keep apologizing. Honestly, it was her house- her boyfriend could drop by to say hi if he wanted to. "Really. Is everything okay, though? You looked upset..."

She still did- she was chewing on a strand of hair, just like she used to do when she was worried about something.

She caught herself, pulling the hair away and clearing her throat. "Yeah. Yes. Edward just..." she hesitated a moment. "He had planned to go hunting with his brothers today, but they were... pulled away." She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. Strange. "He just wanted to tell me that he'd be going on Saturday, instead. Actually, he suggested that maybe you and I could make plans for that day. He liked you." She added the last part with a faint smile.

"Really? He barely even met me." She just shrugged, still smiling. "Well... this Saturday, huh? Wait..." I felt a frown crease my face.

"What?"

"Uh... I've been in a truck for most of the past day, Bells. I thought today was Saturday."

She laughed. "I guess the drive up must have been disorienting. It's Thursday. This is the last weekend before school starts."

"Right, right," I nodded, then brightened. "Okay, then. Saturday it is! I'm sure there's some fun things to do in this little town right? Hey, maybe we could head down to La Pup-"

"Push," she corrected, snickering.

"Same thing. But maybe we could hang out with your friend Jake." I tried to smile invitingly. He sounded like a nice enough guy, and Bella had seemed so sad that she couldn't see him anymore...

"Er... I don't think so," she said quickly. At my questioningly glance she explained, albeit very haltingly, "Edward told me... well, earlier today... there's this border, see..." she gave an exasperated sigh. "It's complicated," she said apologetically. I just shrugged, not really sure what she was apologizing for. "One of Edward's brothers kind of... got in a fight with one of the La Push guys earlier today. I think it was just a misunderstanding, but... maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to go near the border any time soon," she finished lamely, once again biting her lip.

"Okay..." I said slowly, still feeling like there was more to the story. Maybe there was bad blood between the towns, and she didn't want me to feel nervous on my first day in town. After a moment I shrugged and said, "Well, that's fine. I'm sure we can find something else to do on Saturday."

She nodded. "Yeah. Definitely. Maybe a movie or something."

At that moment my cell phone buzzed, and after giving Bella an apologetic glance I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sweet thing," Blake's voice sounded from the speaker. "I finished unpacking- you and Bella want to head over to The Pen, and we'll check out the campus?"

"Hang on." I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at Bella. "Do you still feel like seeing my dorm?" She nodded, and I pulled the phone back to my mouth. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."

"Great! Have her give you a ride to campus- I'll meet you in the parking lot in twenty minutes."

"Alright, see you soon." I snapped the phone shut and turned to see Bella holding her car keys in one hand and yanking on her shoes with the other. She fell over, of course, and with a chuckle I knelt down to help her.

* * *

Author's Note: And there's the third chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review, and in the next chapter we'll see: Claire's dorm, some more of Blake, and the beginnings of _someone's_ plan to get Bella down to La Push.


	4. The Invitation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight universe, or anyone in it. I do own Claire, Blake, Angie, Destiny (who is just _so much_ _fun_ to write for), and the puppy. Enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 4: The Invitation**

"Hi, I'm Destiny!"

The voice behind me made me jump. I turned, along with Bella and Blake, to examine the girl standing in the doorway. We had just entered my dorm room, each of us holding some boxes and suitcases.

"Hello, Destiny," I replied, not quite sure what to make of her. She was... well, gorgeous, but in the kind of way that made you angry instead of admiring. Tall and slinky, but with very noticeable curves, and a healthy bronze glow to her skin. She had thick strawberry blonde hair, which was currently tied into two pigtails, and she was winding several strands of hair around one finger. She held a pink lollipop in her other hand, and she was massaging it in a very unnatural way with her mouth. While looking at Blake.

"Hi," she said again, sparing me a glance and then fixing her eyes- which were a stunning shade of green- back on my boyfriend. "What's your name?"

"Blake," he answered after clearing his throat. He tore his eyes away from her and gave me a lopsided grin. "And this is Claire."

"His girlfriend," I added quickly.

Destiny's eyes swiveled back onto me, and her mouth spread into a large smile. "Oh, _Claire_ , that's right! I thought it was, like, Cathy or something. Silly me!" she giggled and flipped a braid over her shoulder- which was very, very exposed, I noted. She was wearing a lemon yellow camisole, one that was definitely _not_ doing a good job of hiding her generous cleavage, and she did not appear to have any kind of bra on. "What a cute couple you guys are! The whole 'surfer and ginger' combo, I totally dig that." She gave Blake another blinding smile, and I couldn't help but wince.

Bella came to my rescue. "Are you a student here, Destiny?" she asked politely.

"Um, _duh_. I'm a communications major." She added the last part proudly and then aimed her lollipop at me. "I'm your roommate, Cath- I mean, _Claire_."

"You... are?" I squeaked, trying not to appear as horrified as I felt. I heard Blake make a strangled sound.

"Totes! We are gonna have the _best_ time, Claire. And you should come over any time you want, Blake." She shot my 'surfer' a wink and resumed assaulting the lollipop with her tongue.

"Thanks," he murmured, giving me a look that clearly said 'I am so sorry I made you come to this college.'

Again, Bella intervened. "It was really nice of you to stop and say hi, Destiny. Blake and I were just going to help Claire get unpacked."

I glanced around the two-person dorm room again. Suddenly, the decor- pink everything, a small army of stuffed animals, mini skirts and high heels strewn across one bed, and a vanity that was literally overflowing with make-up- make a lot more sense.

Well, at least the room itself was pretty big. It had a small kitchen area, a medium-sized t.v. hanging on one wall, two beds on opposite sides of the room, a vanity, a bookcase, a sofa, and two dressers. Aside from the barbie standing in the doorway, it wasn't a bad room at all.

"Ugh, not my scene at _all_ , Claire," she sniffed, as if my plans to unpack offended her in some way. "You guys do your thing, I'm going to try and actually find something to _do_ in this dump of a town. Try not to touch anything of mine, Claire, okay? Thanks." She gave me a sweet smile, then winked at Blake again. "Toodles."

And with that, she turned on her heel and headed back into the hallway.

The three of us stood in silence for several moments, not quite knowing what to say. Finally Blake cleared his throat again. "Babe," he said slowly, "I feel like I should remind you that murder is still a pretty big deal in Washington."

I snorted. "Oh, please, I won't kill her. Probably," I added as an afterthought. "I mean, sure she was kind of annoying, but I'm sure she'll make up for it by decorating our room in some hideous way and then hitting on my boyfriend. Oh. Wait." I gave Blake a frosty scowl. "She already did those things."

"And what was I?" Bella wondered aloud. "Chopped liver?"

Blake gave me an uneasy smile. "C'mon, babe, I'm sure you'll get used to her. You probably won't even have to see her that often, just at nights and maybe in the morning sometimes."

"She did seem like a party girl, Claire," Bella added. "I doubt she'll be in the room very much."

"I hope you're right," I murmured, still looking at the spot where she had been standing. After a moment I sighed and, trying to forget about my new roommate, suggested, "Alright, let's get all this junk unpacked. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can grab dinner somewhere!"

"Here, here." Blake nodded and dropped to his knees, already trying to un-duct-tape a box.

* * *

Two hours later, my room was in a much more organized and homey condition. Destiny had returned not long ago and had provided instructions on where I should place my things, whether or not my outfits actually matched, and whether or not most of my shoes needed to be thrown out. By the time everything was unpacked and put away, I was starting to forget my promise not to murder her.

And poor Blake! The blonde wonder had been practically at his elbow for the past hour, babbling about his big muscles and how it was so strange that he was a 'one-woman-man.' And she kept sucking on lollipops. I don't know where she was getting them from and I don't know where the wrappers kept disappearing to, but she seemed to have an endless supply.

Blake had finally had enough and had politely excused himself several minutes ago, leaving me and Bella alone with... _it_.

"So do you have a boyfriend, Bella? I mean, obviously you could never get a guy like _Blake_ , but I know some guys who are really into short girls. Want me to-"

"I have a boyfriend," Bella interjected quickly, reddening.

"Bella's boyfriend is practically a supermodel," I bragged for her. "He's _gorgeous_."

Destiny looked doubtful. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure he is. You guys probably have one of those open rela-"

"I'm hungry!" I announced loudly, interrupting her. Bella shot me a thankful look and stood from her seat on my bed.

"Same," she said quietly. "I have some take-out menus in my truck, Claire, want me to go grab them?"

I nodded, and with another grateful look she walked swiftly out the door.

Not a moment after Bella had left, Destiny started babbling.

"You should let me do your hair, Claire! I could make it look _so_ pretty, and maybe with some make-up- you really should wear some, you know- then, oh my god, you'd look _fabulous_."

"Maybe some other time, Destiny," I said between gritted teeth.

She was unfazed. "And while we're at it, maybe a whole entire new makeover! I mean, my clothes would probably be too tight on you, but I'm sure we could find something other than those shapeless sweater you-"

At that moment my phone buzzed, and I answered it instantly. "Hello?" I said, holding up one hand to shush Destiny, as if this was a very important phone call.

"Bella?" A rough, deep voice sounded in my ear.

"Huh?" I pulled the phone away, and realized with a flush of embarrassment that this was not my phone. Oops. Bella must have left hers by mistake. "Um, sorry, this is her phone, but-"

"Where is she?" the voice demanded.

"She just ran out, she'll be back in a few minutes. Er... do you want me to take a message?"

I was greeted by stony silence on the other end. After several long seconds I glanced at the screen to see if he had hung up, and the small printed letters spelling out JAKE next to the caller I.D. caught my eye.

"Hey, you're Jacob!" I exclaimed. "Hi! I've heard so much about you!"

A few more seconds of silence, and then he growled, "Who the hell is this?"

Sheesh, the guy was kind of rude. "Er... I'm Claire. Uh, Bella's friend." He made no response, so I continued, "Uh, I'm new in town, and Bella's been helping me get settled. Like I said, she just ran out for a minute, but she'll be back soon. Hey, you live in La Push, right?" I didn't give him a chance to respond and continued animatedly, "You know, I've been trying to convince her to take me down there- see the sights, you know?"

"Really?" he suddenly sounded interested. I grinned- he probably wanted to hang out with her.

"Yeah, yeah. She and I are planning to hang out this weekend, and we've been trying to come up with things to do."

"Yeah? You guys should come down- tell her we're having a bonfire down on the beach on Saturday." He definitely sounded excited now, and my grin widened. "She should come. Everyone misses her." _Everyone_ , huh? Suuure.

"Bonfire, huh? Sounds like fun, I'll see if I can talk her into it."

"Oooh, a _bonfire_? At La Push? Oh my god, Claire, that's sounds like the _best_ thing ever! Have you _seen_ the guys down there?"

"Who's that?" Jacob sounded wary.

"No one," I choked out, suddenly horrified at the idea that Destiny might want to come along. "I gotta go, Jacob- it was nice talking to you."

"Say hi to Bella for me."

What am I, chopped liver? I thought, echoing Bella's sentiment from earlier. But I couldn't help but grin- he sounded so excited that we, well, _she_ , might come down to visit him.

"I will," I promised. "Bye." I hung up, and as soon as I set Bella's phone down there was a life-sized barbie bouncing up and down in front of me.

"Are you seriously going to _La Push_ , Claire? You and Bella just _have_ to let me come, I mean no offense but you guys really don't seem like you know how to have _fun_ , you know? Having me there will make it _way_ easier for you to fit in."

Dammit, where was she getting all these lollipops from? "I... um... see..." I stammered, trying to think of some excuse to keep her from going.

"I mean, seriously, the La Push guys are just _gorgeous_ , Claire. They're, like, the _definition_ of hot."

"Oh. Yay. Um..." I took a deep breath and tried to speak gently, "Look, Destiny, Saturday is kind of going to be a special day for me and Bella, y'know? It's been years since we've had a whole day to just hang out together, today was so busy it didn't even count, and I was really looking forward to spending Saturday with her. Just the two of us."

She gasped, shocked that I would exclude her, and I instantly felt a stab of guilt.

"Although, um..." I wracked my brain for a way to make her feel better. "We probably won't even go to the bonfire," I offered slowly, "But maybe if we decide to, and it's not too late, I'll give you a call?" I finished lamely, running a hand through my hair. That would work, right? If Bella and I did go and Destiny found out, I could just say that my phone had died or it had been too late to call or something.

Her glamorous face beamed down at me. "Oh, that sounds _great_ , Claire! You and Bella can do your little thing, and then if you decide to actually be _fun_ we can go to a real party." She bobbed her head happily, and I gave her a shaky smile.

"Y-yeah, sure. Sounds great."


	5. A Date with Destiny

Author's Note: So the way I understand Alice's visions to work is like this: she only sees a future if someone makes a definitive plan. Therefore Bella refuses to make a plan to go see Jacob, and the Cullens are unconcerned of any hypothetical, uncertain plans that Claire might try to make, because they are uncertain and because Bella will not agree to them. Makes sense, right?

And a big thank you to those of you who have reviewed, favorited, and/or are following this story! I certainly appreciate it, and those reviews give me encouragement to keep on working hard!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. Claire, Destiny, Blake, Angie, and the puppy are all characters of my own devising. Now enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 5: A Date with Destiny**

I'm so sneaky.

I mean, seriously. If Peninsula College had ninja classes, I would be taking and totally dominating them. I am the master- or mistress, I guess- of disguise, stealth, and general trickiness.

Perhaps I should explain. Yesterday, upon mentioning my conversation with Jacob- and his invitation to the La Push bonfire- Bella had gotten all excited that he still wanted to hang out with her. And about thirty seconds later, she had collapsed into 'gloomy, dismal Bella' who insisted that it wouldn't work, that Edward would be angry or would try to stop her. Then she'd gotten all mad and had vented some clearly pent-up frustration at her supermodel boyfriend. And then she'd cried a little bit, and then I'd sworn to never broach the subject again because seeing her freak out had freaked me out.

And then came the sneakiness.

I hadn't really made a plan, yet. I was currently lying in my dorm bed, unable to sleep because of _someone's_ \- I shot Destiny a vindictive glare- snoring. The girl sounded like some kind of bear-barbie hybrid. It was currently late on Friday night; Bella and I were going to meet at some downtown diner for breakfast tomorrow morning, and then she was going to give me the official tour of Forks. And somewhere in the twelve hours we were going to spend together tomorrow, I was going to either convince or lure her down to La Push. Partly because I was dying to see the reservation, and partly because I hated seeing her so upset over all this boy drama.

I had it all worked out. Well, I had the logic parts of it worked out. See, Bella was so hesitant about seeing Jacob because she thought Edward would be mad at her. But Edward couldn't be mad at _her_ if _I_ was the one responsible for our visit, could he?

See? So dang sneaky. I gotta be honest, sometimes I impress myself.

The problem was, I wasn't really sure of how to go about kidnapping my best friend. I'd never actually kidnapped anyone before. I wasn't sure where to start with the whole process, and the fact that I didn't have any mode of transportation was complicating things- it's hard to carry out an abduction when you don't have some kind of get-away car. I could simply try to convince her to go, but she had insisted yesterday that Edward would somehow find out and stop her. I wasn't so sure- I mean, it's not like the guy was psychic, right?- and I was willing to put her theory to the test.

I hadn't decided any real details- the time of our escape, whether we would take Blake, whether we would go to the bonfire or just hang out on the La Push beach, or anything really, other than the fact that we _were_ going down there tomorrow.

I finally started to doze off, hoping that I wouldn't really need a plan and that everything would somehow work itself out.

* * *

"Bell- _aaaa_!"

"No," she said firmly.

"Come _ooon_!"

"No, Claire. It won't work."

I gave up trying to drag her out of her chair and blew an annoyed sigh. "Okay, Bells, look... unless you literally _pick up your phone and tell Edward we're going_ , he won't know." She pressed her lips together and gave her head a stubborn shake. "Bells, he won't have any right to be mad at you when we get back. It's _my_ idea- _I'm_ the one that wants to go. Tell him I kidnapped you, he'll get mad at me instead!"

"No, Claire. It just... it just won't work. Please just drop it. We can find other things to do in town." She gave me a pleading look, and I grudgingly relented.

"Fine... but I still think you're overreacting," I muttered, and sat back down in my chair. So much for my devious and clever plan.

We were sitting in the outdoor dining area of a small cafe in Forks, taking advantage of the day's shockingly nice weather. We had spent the morning walking around the town, had gone to see a movie, and had run into a few of Bella's friends from school. We had gone shopping with them- although Bella didn't seem too fond of the one girl, Jessica, and I hadn't been crazy about her either- and after a few hours we had excused ourselves for a very late lunch at a charming little cafe.

It was late afternoon, actually much closer to dinner than lunch, by the time we had finished our meal. We had left several bills on our table and had been trying to decide how else to occupy ourselves when I had cheerfully suggested that we take Jacob up on his offer and head down to the reservation. She had just given one of those sad little sighs and said that it wouldn't work.

So, just like any good friend, I had started trying to physically drag her out of her chair. It hadn't worked. My brilliant plan had failed.

"I get what you're trying to do, Claire," Bella said gently. "And I really do appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "It's just... no offense to Edward, Bellls, but it just seems like he isn't being fair about this."

She pressed her lips together and gave a little half-shrug. "He has his reasons," she said softly, not quite meeting my eyes.

I huffed a sigh and tried to think of some way to respond to that when the suddenly deafening sound of a pop music, a roaring car engine, and an abrupt high-pitched squeal of brakes sounded from nearby.

Bella's gaze traveled across the street and her jaw dropped. I followed suit, looking to my right to see...

"Hey, girlfriends!" I gaped at the scene in front of me. Destiny sat unbuckled in the driver's seat of the nicest-looking car I had ever seen. She was wearing designer sunglasses, a lacy white button-down top, a pink miniskirt, and enough makeup to transform her already stunning face into that of a goddess.

And the _car._ I was more clueless about cars than most people, but even I could recognize a Corvette when I saw one. Its top was down, allowing Destiny to bask in the sun and revealing a plush, cream-colored leather interior. The outside of the stylish vehicle was hot pink.

Destiny, who had apparently been looking for us, pealed across the two-lane street and slammed to a diagonal stop near our curb-side table. Bella, looking quite stunned, gave a tiny wave. I got a strange feeling of deja vu as I stared at the car. Almost as if I had seen it before... somewhere else, somewhere a long time ago... and it had been... _smaller_... The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

"This is _barbie's car_ , Destiny!"

She just threw her head back and laughed, her hair actually blowing out behind her in the wind.

"Where on earth... how do you have... _this is barbie's car_!" I spluttered, overwhelmed by the fact that I was standing next to a life-sized barbie doll in a life-sized barbie-mobile.

"My daddy bought it for me," she ran a manicured hand along the dashboard appreciatively. "Now are you going to get in or not?"

"Get in?" Bella repeated. She sounded nearly as baffled as I felt.

Destiny lifted up her shades so that we could see her give a dramatic eye-roll. "Um, how _else_ are we getting to the bonfire? Didn't you tell her the plan, Claire?" She arched an eyebrow at me accusingly.

"I... um..." I had actually forgotten to mention my 'deal' with Destiny to Bella. Although at no point last night had I suggested that Destiny swoop into downtown Forks and pick us up- apparently she had gotten tired of waiting for me to call and had decided to take matters into her own hands.

Bella looked at me, clearly confused. "Why did you keep trying to drag me, Claire, if Destiny was just going to give us a ride?"

"I... didn't... know..." I stammered, still shell-shocked by the sight of my roommate and her vehicle.

"Chop chop, ladies!" Destiny huffed, giving another eye roll. "Are you going to get in, or am I going to have to crash the party all by myself?"

I gave my head a slow shake. "Bella really doesn't want-"

"Actually, Claire, I think it might be fun," Bella said quickly, a strange eagerness suddenly tinging her voice. "Let's go."

"What? Two minutes ago you wouldn't budge and now you suddenly want to go? All spur of the moment?" I asked incredulously.

"Claire, spur of the moment decisions are the _best_ kind!" Bella proclaimed happily, swinging open the hot pink passenger door and hopping into the car. "Now come on, hurry and get it!"

I obeyed, still somewhat baffled by my friend's strange behavior. I slid into the plush back seat, wincing at whatever deafeningly loud pop music was blaring from the speakers. Destiny gave an excited holler, pumped one fist in the air, and slammed her heel down on the gas pedal.

* * *

Author's Note: This was the shortest chapter so far, but I already have a good portion of the next chapter written and it would have felt strange to try and combine the two. In the next chapter we'll see: how Claire and Destiny do at a werewolf bonfire, and (of course!) Jacob will finally make an appearance. Please leave a review, I have really enjoyed reading them so far!


	6. The Bonfire

Author's Note: So this is just a reminder to some people who may not have read the books in a while- I'm trying to keep the events of this story in cohesion with the timeline of events in Eclipse. So, where it's at right now: Emmet and Paul had their little boundary issues very recently (as mentioned in a previous chapter), this is the first time Bella successfully sneaks off to La Push, and Jacob has only recently learned about imprinting. As this story is told from Claire's p.o.v., she does not understand any of these things right now- thus her ignorance. Okay, just wanted to explain that in case anyone is confused about the timeline of all these events!

Also I'd like to thank those of you who reviewed, favorited, and/or are following this story- it really means a lot to me! Now enjoy chapter six!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters or anything in the Twilight universe. Claire, Blake, Destiny, Angie, and the puppy are characters of my own devising. Enjoy chapter 6!

 **Chapter 6: The Bonfire**

"Destiny, slow down!" I shrieked. I wasn't even sure if she could hear me, the music was blaring so loud. She certainly didn't seem to hear me, because her response to my scream was a shrill 'whooo!" and a sudden wild swerve.

I had never been so glad to wear a seatbelt. I had one wrapped tightly around my waist, and both of my hands were braced against the headrests in front of me.

Poor Bella didn't seem to be faring much better. Her face was paler than usual and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Her nails were digging little grooves into the leather of her seat, I noticed with a dim sense of satisfaction; at least Destiny wouldn't walk away from this little joy-ride totally scott-free.

She had been racing at sixty miles an hour over the uneven back roads of Forks, presumably making her way towards La Push, and I had no idea how she had managed not to hit anything. After what felt like an eternity she slowed and, with a jolt that made me almost lose my lunch, slammed on the brakes.

"We're hee-eere!" she sang happily, hopping over her car door and landing with a little pirouette on soft grass. I groaned, hoping my stomach would settle, and Bella dared to crack one eyelid.

"Are we alive?" she asked me hoarsely. I just moaned and staggered out of the vehicle.

"Where are we?" I managed, looking around and trying to get my bearings. We were parked on the side of a dirt road, surrounded by trees on either side. The sun was setting but there was still some low light, and I could see no signs to mark our whereabouts. "This is La Push?"

Destiny stooped to grab a white leather purse, decorated with rhinestones and glittering so brightly that it almost hurt your eyes to look straight at it, out of her barbie-mobile. She straightened and readjusted her stylish sunglasses. "The beach is over that way. We just have to follow the trail."

Hadn't she just moved down here last week? How did she know how to get to the La Push beach? Aloud I asked, "Are you sure, Destiny? This kind of looks like... the middle of nowhere."

"Well, _duh,_ Claire, this entire town is in the middle of nowhere." She gave a dismissive sniff. "My daddy gave me a map of the whole area before I drove up here. These dumb roads don't go all the way down to the beach, but we can walk." She rolled her eyes in the direction of a gap in the thick trees, where there was a clear and well-traveled path.

"Does that sound right, Bella?" I asked my friend.

She staggered out of the car, face still drawn and pale, and gave a nod. She looked nauseous. As if to affirm her answer, several loud whoops and hollers sounded from somewhere within- or beyond- the trees.

"Sounds like they've already started," Bella said, her voice still shaky.

"Oh my god, Bella," Destiny was suddenly animated, nearly bouncing up and down, "How many guys will be there? And you're just absolutely going to have to point out who's taken already. Not that _I_ couldn't get any guy I wanted, but I don't want _damaged goods_ , you know?" I closed my eyes and tried to suppress a groan. Was she going to be like this the whole time?

Bella's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked very nervous. "Destiny... I don't think any of Jake's friends would be good dating material."

"Bells, you are so old-fashioned that it's adorable," I had to wince at her condescending tone, and at her use of _my_ nickname for Bella. "I don't want to _date_ one of them, I'm just looking to take someone out for a test drive." She winked an emerald eye at me, as if I had appreciated her comment. I just grimaced again.

Once again, the color drained out of Bella's face. She spoke very slowly and carefully, "Destiny... look, I really, really don't think you want to... er, do that. It just... it seems like a bad idea," she finished lamely, and gave me a pleading look that clearly said 'help me out, here!'

"Yeah," I interjected, wracking my brain for something to say. "I mean, why... why settle for these guys when next Monday you'll have scores of college guys at your beck and call?" I certainly didn't doubt that Destiny would find some poor guys to answer her every whim. Whether or not they would do it happily, however...

She gave me a dazzling smile. "Well, _duh_ , Claire, I mean why do you think I even decided to go to college in the first place? But why just grab apples when you can have oranges, too?" she asked, as if the answer should be obvious. I gave her a baffled look.

Bella gave a resigned sigh and began trudging towards the path. "Look, Destiny, just be careful. Some of Jake's friends are, er-"

"Gang members?" I supplied helpfully, following my friend.

Destiny gave a gasp behind us. I felt pleased for a moment, satisfied that we had successfully deterred her from chasing after any men tonight. My relief was cut short a moment later when she squealed, "Oh, I _love_ bad boys! Are they _dangerous_?"

"They're not a gang, Claire!" Bella insisted. "They're just... they all work security on the reservation, I guess you could say. They can't afford to get distracted."

Skipping along behind us- how was she skipping in high heels?- Destiny giggled. "I think you're just over-reacting, Bells. I'm sure they could afford to 'get distracted' for an hour or-"

"Can we talk about something else?" I wondered aloud, thoroughly sick of my roommate's attitude but trying to remain polite. "Like... I don't know, what do the people on the reservation do for fun?" I chose the question at random, in an effort to redirect the conversation.

Bella shrugged. "Have bonfires, mostly. Jake and I used to ride motorcycles-" I blanched at her. Timid little Bella riding a motorcycle? Nuh-uh, no way. She continued, "And the guys love to cliff dive. I tried it once, it... it didn't go so well," she mumbled, face reddening.

"Cliff diving? As in, diving off a cliff?" She nodded, stiff blushing. "Who are you and what have you done with Bella?" I demanded.

"That's, like, super rad, Bells," Destiny interjected unhelpfully.

"It was a months ago," Bella muttered, flushing darker and nearly tripping over an upraised tree root on the path. "And, really, it didn't, um, end up so great. I kind of... almost... drowned."

My jaw dropped. "You what?! Are you _insane_? You jumped off a cliff and _almost drowned_?!"

"That is _fierce_ , Bella."

"Jake saved me, it wasn't a big deal," she insisted.

I rolled my eyes. "Since when is drowning not a big deal?" She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "So... there's a story here, right?" Another shrug. "Come on, Bella! You can't say you almost drowned last summer and then just not tell me what happened!"

"That is a super lame thing to do, Bella."

My friend blew a long sigh and gave me a sidelong glance, looking sheepish. "It's... a long story."

A gestured to the path ahead of us- it wound in a snake-like pattern through the trees and disappeared around a bend in the distance. "We've got time."

She gave another sigh. "Well, alright. Here's what happened..."

* * *

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the La Push bonfire, but it certainly wasn't the sight that greeted me when we finally made it to the beach. A group of young men were running around- all of them shirtless, I noticed- and playing what looked like a very violent game of football along the shore. There was only one other girl present, a tall and athletic young woman with striking features, and she appeared to be keeping pace with the roughhousing boys around her easily. Logs and fallen trees had been arranged in a crude circle around the bonfire, and soda cans and mostly-empty pizza boxes littered the area.

As we approached the fire one tall and well-muscled young man tackled another, earning them both a chorus of howling from the other boys. A moment later someone cried out, "Hey, it's Bella!" and the tackled boy sprang up as quickly as if he had been lit on fire.

"Bells!" he cried out, dropping the football and hurtling towards us.

"Jake!" she squealed back, and practically leapt into his arms.

I had to take a few steps back to avoid being knocked over as he swung her around, shouting, "You made it! You really made it!" happily. I watched them and smiled, happy to see Bella so excited in the arms of her friend. Jacob was, I noticed as he spun her, huge. He stood at least a foot taller than me, and every inch of his frame seemed to be packed with hard muscle. He had dark eyes, dark hair cut just a bit past his ears, and his face was currently illuminated by a smile so big that it actually looked painful.

He also, like every other man present, wasn't wearing a shirt. Was this the norm in La Push? Did they all just run around half-naked, showcasing their weirdly well-toned bodies to passing strangers? I couldn't help but wonder. I glanced to my side, then, and saw Destiny practically drooling at the herd of muscular, shirtless young men standing before us. I snorted.

Jacob finally put Bella down, and the two of them began to jump around and squeal excitedly. The other boys- and the one girl, who was scowling in our direction- watched bemusedly for a moment and then resumed their game. Destiny and I stood and watched quietly until, apparently tired of waiting, my roommate cleared her throat loudly. Bella took the hint and practically pranced towards us, dragging Jacob behind her.

She was almost vibrating with excitement. "Jake, this is my friend Claire." She gestured towards me. "You guys spoke on the phone the other day."

He nodded absently, not even glancing my way- his eyes and broad smile were fixed on my friend. "Yeah, yeah, sure."

I snorted, more amused than offended. Yeah, this guy was _definitely_ smitten with Bella.

"Claire just moved here from Phoenix, same as me. She'll be taking classes at Peninsula College with her boyfriend." Destiny cleared her throat again. "And this is, er, Destiny-"

"Heads up!" a shout from the side interrupted Bella, and I flinched back as a football flew in-between us and landed several feet away. "Sorry, guys!" A younger boy, probably a teenager- but built like a rock, just like everyone else- with sandy hair and a happy grin plastered over his face jogged towards us. "Jared's a terrible aim," he chuckled, stooping to retrieve the ball.

"You're a terrible catch!" came a responding roar, making the boy's grin widen.

Bella gave a faint smile and nodded a hello. Jacob seemed less than amused. "You could have hit Bella," he snapped, scowling darkly at a figure some distance away who was nearly as tall as he was- presumably Jared.

And Claire, I added silently. A snort and a 'Sorry, Bella,' sounded from Jared's direction.

"Hey, Jake, get back in the game!" someone else called, another tall- geez, these guys were _huge_ \- guy. "We need you!"

Jacob fixed his dark eyes back on Bella and gave her a sheepish grin. "D'you mind, Bells? We're halfway through the game, Embry and Quil don't stand a chance without me..."

"Lies!" came a cry from another boy. Jacob rolled his eyes.

Bella waved at the figure. "Hi, Quil."

"We don't mind at _all_ ," piped up my roommate, stepping forward and laying a manicured hand on Jacob's arm. "You're probably, like, the best player here, right?" Oh, for the love of... was she actually batting her eyelashes at him?

Jacob gave Destiny a funny look and inched away. He turned his eyes back towards Bella questioningly.

"This is Destiny," she explained, reddening. "Claire's roommate. She gave us a ride."

"So do you work out, Jakey?" Destiny asked, as if Bella hadn't even spoken. I dropped my face into my hands. "You sure _look_ like you do."

"Er..."

"Go ahead and play, Jake," Bella said quickly. "We'll watch."

"Cool. It sure is great to see you, Bells," he said happily, and I looked up as he gave her another quick hug and then turned to join his friends.

"I'll be cheering for you!" Destiny called after him, and then pranced off to do just that.

Bella watched him go and then turned to me, eyebrows suddenly drawing together with concern. "You won't get bored, right, Claire? I know you probably expected something more interactive than watching the pack play football..."

"The pack?" I repeated.

"Oh. Um..." Again, Bella blushed. "That's just... just what they call themselves."

"Huh. Better than 'the gang,' right?" I asked jokingly, and she gave a forced-sounded laugh. I continued, "It's okay, I may not be much of an athlete but I do like watching sports. And I'm definitely not about to complain- this whole situation has turned out perfectly."

"How so?" she asked as we moved closer to the fire and seated ourselves on a log.

"Well," I grinned at her, "The whole problem with us sneaking down here in the first place was that your boyfriend would get mad, right?

"Right..."

"So, Bella, let me ask you- who exactly was responsible for dragging us out here?" A smile spread slowly over her face as she realized what I was getting at. I continued smugly, "And who is going to get chewed out for this? Me, you, or-"

"Destiny!" she finished with a laugh.

I nodded happily. "Yep! See? It all worked out perfectly!"

We shared a grin and then turned to watch the game. It really had turned out wonderfully; Bella and Jake would get to hang out, Destiny would be happy that she had gotten to tag along, and Edward couldn't get mad at me or his girlfriend. I couldn't have planned the whole thing better myself. Which was good, actually, because my plan to get Bella here had been a complete and total failure.

The sound of a high-pitched, barbie-esque voice cheering,"Go, Jakey, go!" interrupted my thoughts. I exchanged a glance with Bella and we both let out simultaneous groans.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed chapter 6! And sorry if the lack of imprinting in this chapter disappointed anyone, but I figured that since Jacob hadn't seen Bella in weeks he wouldn't even look twice at other girls in the area right away. The imprinting will happen in the next chapter :) Feel free to leave a review if you liked this chapter!


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